Method of forming frozen confections



METHOD OF FORMING FROZEN CONFECTIONS Original Filed May 2, 1932 2. -1 0 /a Y 7' I! la 20:: I

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BYZ a/ ATTORNEY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 11, 1940. J. E. HOGUE METHOD OF FORMING mom: CONF'ECTIONS Original Filed May 2, 1932 3 Sheets-Shget 5 R Y E WM N Nu R E 0 V W m& A s 6 my ad J Patented June 11, 1940 UNITED STATES METHOD OF FORMING FROZEN CONFECTIONS James E. Hogue,

Hot Springs, Ark., assignor to Joe Lowe Original application May 2, 1932, Serial No. 608,808. Divided and this application April 5, 1933, Serial No. 664,584

12 Claims.

The present invention is a division of my copending application S. N. 608,808, filed May 2, 1932, and relates to the method of forming frozen confection or novelties and particularly such novelties which are dispensed as individual services. Y

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved method of forming suchconfection which method is practiced by bonding an insert in the confection. preferably while the confection is being solidified, and utilizing the insert for withdrawing the confection from the mold, in which it is solidified, after thebond between the confection and the mold is broken.

Another object of the inventionis to utilize a stripper, which is arranged to engage the confection, for stripping the confection off of the confection-withdrawing-insert.

A further object is' to utilize the Withdrawinginsert for manipulating or holding the frozen confection whilea coating, such as chocolate, is being applied to the confection.

A still further object is to provide an improved method of forming individually contained or wrapped frozen confection which method is practiced by utilizing the mechanism, which is used for withdrawing the frozen confection, from the mold, for supporting the confections in receiving relation with individual containers or wrappers.-

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detail description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of the invention, in which: n

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of a portion of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section, taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation showing the mold and carrier separated.

Figure 4 is a view in top'plan of the mold.

Figure 5 is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in vertical transverse section through the mold, taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 4.'

Figure '7 is a view in side elevation of the carrier and the stripper, showing said carrier and stripper separated.

Figure 8 is a view in vertical transverse section through the carrier.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view in vertical transverse section, taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Figure 7.

illustrated to advantage in Fig. 2.

Figure 10 is a detail view in perspective of the stripper.

Figure 11 is a view showing the container rack.

Referring now to the drawings indetail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the present in- 5 vention which has been illustrated comprises a mold structure which is designated generally by the reference numeral I, said mold structure including a base 2, upon which are fixed and from which rise a plurality of'cellsor molds in the 10 form of tubes 3, the bottoms of which are formed by said base 2. Fixed on the upper ends of the tubes 3.is a pan 4 having communication with said tubes through openings 5 in the bottom of the pan. The pan 4 is provided with a sweep 15 end 6 to facilitate disposing of excess material after the bowl chambers provided by the tubes 3 have been filled.

A carrier is designated generally by the reference numeral 1 and includes the spaced, parallel 20 longitudinal bars 8 which are connected, at their ends, to the head bars 9 having'upturned end portions ill to which the handle bars II are fixed. The handle bars II project beyond the head bars 9 and terminate in enlargements l2 having 25 openings 13 therein which merge with concavities I 4 in the lower sides of said enlargements ,l 2. The purpose of the openings l3 and concavities I! will be presently set forth.

A plurality of inserts, herein shown as spirally twisted or corrugated pins or rods ii, are fixed to the longitudinal bars 8 of the carrier I. The pins l5 are spaced on the bars 8 so that each extends into one of the molds 3, in the manner Slidable vertically on the depending pins ii of the carrier 1 is a stripper l6 having holes I! therein which receive said pins l5. Rising from the ends of the stripper l6 are the resilient latches l8 which are engageable with the handle bars I I 40 for releasably supporting the stripper in raised .position. The latches I8 further are engageable withthe head bars 9 for limiting the downward movement of said stripper on the pins IS. The stripper I6 is further provided with the elongated 45 openings l9 through which the operator may observe the mold l and the container rack to be presently described when the device isin use. The openings l9 also assure lighter weight than would be the case if said openings were omitted. 0

Rising from the comer portions of the mold structure I are ports 20, said posts being secured to the mold in any suitable manner, as by welding or soldering. The posts 20 are-engaged in the openings l3 of the handle bars II when the carrier I is mounted on the mold I, thus providing means for centering the pins I in the mold chambers and preventing lateral or horizontal movement of the carrier when lifting the frozen confection out of the mold chambers. In other words, the carrier I can be'moved only in a true vertical plane when removing the frozen confection from the mold until after said confection has cleared the mold chambers. Stops 20a are provided on the posts 20 and engage the enlargements I2 of handle bars II to limit the downward movement of the frame I so that the stripper I6 is spaced from the bottom of the pan 4.

A container rack (Fig. 11) is designated by the reference numeral 2| and is provided with a plurality of wells or pockets 22 for the reception of the containers. The wells or pockets 22 correspond in number and spacing to the mold chambers and the pins I5. Rising from the corner portions of the rack 2| are the posts 23 which also are engageable in the openings I3 for centering the pins l5 over the containers in the wells or pockets 22 and for guiding the carrier I when lowering the confections into the containers. The concavities I4 constitute guide means for facilitating engagement of the posts 20 of the mold I and the posts 23 of the container rack 2i in the openings I3 of the carrier I. 4

In use, the chambers of the mold I are filled with a substance to be frozen, such as ice cream mix by pouring said material from the mixer (not shown) into the pan 4. As previously stated, the sweep end 6 of the pan 4 facilitates the return of the excess material to the mixer. The carrier I with the stripper IS in raised position thereon, is then mounted in the pan 4 with the posts 20 projecting upwardly through the openings l3 and the rods l5 depending centrally in the mold chambers. The ice cream mix is then frozen by any suitable means or method and the bond between the frozen confection and tubes is broken preferably bymomentarily immersing the tubes in water to loosen the confection from the sides of the tubes. Then, the carrier I is lifted from the mold with the confection on the pins I5.

If coated confections, such as chocolate coated, are desired, the carrier I is used for holding or manipulating the confections while coating the same. Preferably the confections, carried by the pins I5 of the carrier I, are momentarily dipped in a bath of warm chocolate. The chocolate on the confections soon hardens due to the refrigerating effect of the cold confections. The carrier isthen mounted on the container rack 2| (Fig. 11), the posts 23 of said rack, as previously stated, being engaged in the openings l3. Afterthe posts 23 are engaged' in the openings I3, the carrier I is lowered to place the confections which are still on the pins IS in the packaging containers which are positioned in the wells or pockets 22. After the confections have been lowered into the packaging containers, the latches I8 are disengaged from the handle bars II, thus permitting the stripper I6 to fall by gravity from the pins l5 and come to rest on the tops of the containers. Thecarrier I is then lifted, at which time the stripper I6 will remove the confections from the rods I5, the weight of said stripper I6 being suflicient to accomplish this, or, if the weight of the stripper is not heavy enough for the purpose, the operator can push downwardly on the latches I8 while lifting the carrier I.

-.When the stripper i6 is near the lower ends of the pins I5, the latches I8 engage the'head bars 9 of the carrier for arresting the downward movement of the stripper and thereby prevent the withdrawal of the pins I5 from the openings II in the stripper I6.

It will be noted (see Fig. 8) that the rods or pegs I5 fit snugly within the openings therefor in the stripper I6. Therefore, during each operation, the stripper will shear the pegs I5 clear of any material such as chocolate or ice cream tending to cling thereto. In this manner, chocolate and ice cream cannot accumulate on the pegs. It will also be noted that the pegs I5 are formed of small gauge material and are apt to be bent from normal through careless use of the apparatus. Should the pegs become bent, they can nevertheless be withdrawn from the blocks or confection without breaking the latter because, being formed of small gauge material, they can bend to conform with the tortuous opening formed by the bent peg. Also because being formed of small gauge material, they can straighten to their normal vertical positions when they are pulled through the stripper.

It is believed that the many advantages of a confection making apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. Those steps in the method of producing packaged frozen confections which consist in withdrawing the confections from the molds, in which they were frozen, by means of inserts frozen in the confections, then supporting the confections by the inserts in receiving relation with containers, and then releasing the confections from the inserts whereby the confections are then each supported entirely by a container.

2. Those steps in the method of producing packaged frozen confections which consist. in withdrawing the confections from the molds, in which they were frozen, by means of inserts frozen in the confections, then placing the confections in containers and utilizing the inserts for holding the confections while placing same in the containers, and then releasing the confections from the'inserts whereby the confections are then each supported entirely by the container.

3. Those steps in the method of producing packaged. frozen confections which consist in withdrawing the confections from the molds, in which they were frozen, by means of inserts frozen in the confections, placing the confections in receiving relation with open top containers and then lowering the confections into the containers, utilizing the inserts for holding the confections, and then releasing the confections from the inserts whereby the confections are then each supported entirely by a. container.

-4. Those steps in the method of harvesting individually frozen confections in groups, which consist in withdrawing the confections as a group from the individual molds in which they were frozen, by means of inserts frozen in the confections, and then separating all of the inserts from all of the confections in one single operaion.

5. Those steps in the method of harvestin groups of coated frozen confections, which consist in withdrawing the individual confections as a group from the individual molds in which they were frozen, by means of inserts frozen in the confections, applying a coating to the confections, and then separating all of the inserts from all of the confections in one single operation.

6. The method of molding and handling individual frozen confections which consists in placing the confection material to be frozen in a plurality of mold cavities, placing a rod in each mold cavity so that the lower portion of the rod is immersed in the confection material, freezing the confection material whereby it becomes bonded to the rods .and to the mold walls, breaking the bond between the mold walls and the confection material, simultaneously withdrawing all the rods with a molded confection congealed on each rod, and simultaneously exerting pressure on the tops of the confections for forcing them from the rods in a single operation.

7. The method of molding and handling individual frozen confections which consists in placing the confection material to be frozen in a plurality of mold cavities, placing a rod in each mold cavity so that the lower portion of the rod is immersed in the confection material, freezing the confection material whereby it becomes bonded to the rods and to the mold walls, breaking the bond between the mold walls and the confection material, simultaeously withdrawing all the rods with a molded confection congealed on each rod, and thereafter simultaneously breaking the bond between each of said molded confections-and its associated rod preparatory to stripping all of said molded confections from said rods in a single operation.

8. The method of molding and handling individual coated frozen confections which consists in placing the confection material to be frozen in a plurality of mold cavities, placing a rod in each mold cavity so that the lower portion of the rod is immersed in the confection material, freezing the confection material whereby it becomes bonded to the rods and to the mold walls, breaking -the bond between the mold walls and the confection material, simultaneously withdrawing all the rods with a molded confection congealed on each rod, simultanously dipping all of the molded confections in a coating material, andsimultaneously exerting pressure on the tops of the coated confections for forcing them from the rods in a single operation.

9. The method of molding and handling individual coated frozen confections which consists in placing the confection material tobe frozen in a plurality of mold cavities, placing a rod in each mold cavity so that the lower portion of the rod is immersed in the confection material, freezing the confection material whereby it becomes bonded to the rods and to the mold walls, breaking the bond between the mold walls and the confection material, simultaneously withdrawing all the rods with a molded confection congealed on each rod, simultaneousy coating all of the frozen confections with an edible coating, allowing said coatings to harden and set, and simultaneously stripping all of the frozen confections as thus coated from the said rods.

10. Those steps in the method of handling molded frozen confections, whichconsist in withdrawing all of the confections together upon inserts frozen in the confections from the cavities in which they were molded and frozen, holding the confections together in spaced relation by means of their respective inserts while coating the confections, and then separating all of the confections from all of the inserts in one single operation.

11. Those steps in the method of making frozen confections which consist in inserting a plurality of spaced rods in the confection material, bonding said rods to said confection material by refrigeration, finishing the frozen confections while still bonded to said rods, and then breaking the bond between the confections and their re-' spective rods in one operation. I

12. Those steps in the method of making frozen confections which consist in inserting a plurality of spaced rods in the molded confection material, bonding said rods to said confection materialby refrigeration, withdrawing said confection material by said rods from the mold, supporting the confection material upon said rods while finishing it as a plurality of individual frozen confections, and then breaking the bond between the finished confections and their respective rods in one single operation.

JAMES E. HOGUE. 

